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Inverleith Amateur Swimming Club
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Coaches & Staff

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Introduction

Our coaches will devote a great deal of time and effort to the various training programmes. Many hours are spent with swimmers during normal sessions, training camps and competitions.

On this page you will find a biography on each coach. Also you will find a note of their coaching style and some details about themselves. Feel free to look around.

Coaches

&

Teachers

Fiona Anderson

Coaching Convenor (Staff & Pools) & Int. Squad

GO!

Tom Watson

Head Coach & Learn to Swim Co-ordinator

GO!

Colin Mitchell

Coach - Adv. Squad

GO!

Louise Allan

Coach - Prep Group

GO!

Peter Allan

Coach - Retired

GO!

Management

&

Reps.

Mr C Watson

President

Mrs N Wood

Vice-President

Mrs K Pitcher

Hon. Secretary

Mr C Watson

Hon. Treasurer

Mrs K McRoberts Ordinary Member  
Keith Inglis Ordinary Member  
Janet Sylvestor Ordinary Member  

Donald Scott

Social Committee


Lifeguard

Team

Graeme Pitcher

RLSS & ISRM Trainer Assessor (NPLQ & BM), RLSS NPLQ, RLSS Youth Education Advisor

Sean Smith

RLSS NPLQ

Fiona Bennett

RLSS NPLQ

Karen Bennett

RLSS NPLQ

Jamie Wood

RLSS NPLQ

Murray Nicolson

RLSS NPLQ

 

 

 

 
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Fiona Anderson - Coaching Convenor (staff & pools)


Details:
 Full Name:
Fiona Margaret Anderson
 Age:
A lot older than 21!!!
 School:
Airyhall Primary then Aberdeen High School for Girls
 How long have you been with the club:
30 years!!!
 Biggest influence on swimming career:
Reading about Dawn Fraser at Australian Olympics many years ago.
 Favorite pool:
For Coaching its Leith Victoria, for swmming it was Portobello when it was Salt water as it was very fast.
 Best Competition:
Competing in Holland & France in the 1980's
 Proudest moment in swimming:
Swimming PB's in my mid-late twenties.
 Biggest disappointment in swimming:
Not Being Better
 Other sporting interests:
Running & Cycling
 Favourite Group/Musicians/singers:
Phil Collins
 Favourite Food:
Don't really have a favourite.
 Other Interests:
Cooking, Baking, Sweing and gardening.
 Anything Else:
I Hate Ironing!!.

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Tom Watson - Head Coach, Learn To Swim Administrator


Details:


 Full Name:
Tom Watson
 Age:
Young At Heart
 School:
Sciennes Primary, James Clark Secondary (now housing unit)
 How long have you been with the club:
Too Long to remember - 1978 I think
 Biggest influence on swimming career:
I was never a swimmer, I learned to swim at 15. Probably Hammy Smith.
 Favorite pool:
Portobello Open Air - Waves
 Best Competition:
National Meet, Run by Inverleith at the RCP between 1980 and 1986.
 Proudest moment in swimming:
Still to come
 Biggest disappointment in swimming:
!? You Do Not Want To Know
 Other sporting interests:
Football
 Favourite Group/Musicians/singers:
Neil Diamond, James Last
 Favourite Food:
Curry / Thai
 Other Interests:
Life Time Hearts Fan
 Anything Else:
I want to see the club strive and be successful.

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Colin Mitchell - Coach ~ Adv. Squad


Biography:


Joined Inverleith as a swimmer aged 8. Moved to Glasgow at age 12 and swam for 3 years with Milngavie and Bearsden then moved to Kirkintilloch ASC where I also became involved in coaching and teaching.

At age 17 I moved back to Edinburgh to study for a BSc Science with Management Studies at Napier University. I spent 3 years back in Glasgow after University where I started coaching a squad at Kirkintilloch and completing my ASA qualifications.

Currently I work for State Street, previously the WM Company & Deutsche Bank in a business support role and coach Inverleith's Advanced squad.

Coaching Style:


My aim as a coach is always to help produce swimmers with good technique and give them the foundations for a successful swimming career but above all I want the swimmers to enjoy their sport as much as I did.

Details:




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Peter Allan - Coach ~ Int. Squad


Biography:


I first became involved in swimming in October 1982 when my son decided to join a Swimming Club and I attended my first training camp (at Golspie) as a helper in April 1983.

I then joined club as an adult member in September 1983 in order to become a timekeeper. At that time any official had to be a member of a registered SASA club to be undertake technical official training. I undertook the training and sat my timekeepers exam in November 1983. I then went on to completed my record of pondside duties and was awarded my timekeepers certificate in April 1984. November 1984 saw my sitting my judges exam and in April 1985 I completed my record of pondside duties and was awarded my judges certificate. In October 1986 I began assisting as coaching helper with D Group under the watchful eye of Iain Macfadyen, and in April 1987 I sat and passed my Preliminary Club Coaches Certificate.

In November 1986 I sat my starters exam and in June 1987 I completed my record of pondside duties and was awarded my starters certificate. November 1987 saw me joining the Club committee and I became property & works convenor and lifesaving convenor.

I continued assisting with D Group until lain retired from coaching and left me to run D Group in late 1988. During 1988 when the club had a smaller number of swimmers, the coaching groups were reorganised into three groups, advanced, intermediate and prep, with the chief coach responsible for the advanced group and myself taking care of intermediate group.

In 1988 I sat and passed my recorder's exam and in March 1989 I sat and passed my Assistant Club Coaches Certificate. In May 1991 I passed the Royal Lifesaving Societies Lifesaving Teacher's Certificate. In June 1991 I passed the Scottish Amateur Swimming Association's Preliminary Teacher's Certificate for Swimming. Whilst in June 1993 I sat and passed the Amateur Swimming Association, Teachers Certificate for Swimming.

During 1993 because of an influx of swimmers at the lower end of the Club we reverted to having four Coaching Groups, A group, B group, C group and Prep group with C group being run by myself. I took over duties of coaching convenor in November 1993 and I sat and passed my referee's exam in 1994. Finally in 1995 I was elected president of the club at the AGM.

In March 1996 I attended and passed a long conversion course from the old swimming teachers qualifications to the new swimming teachers qualification. I was awarded my new swimming teacher certificate in July 1996. I took over the running of D group in 99 and I was awarded the "Certificate of Continued Professional Development" as an amemdum to the ASA Teachers Certificate

Coaching Style:


Much of my "Coaching" is actually "Teaching" as most of the swimmers are fairly new to the sport. I tend to coach (teach) like the continually dripping tap, keeping on at the main points of swimming until all (or most) swimmers have them firmly fixed in their minds. [As the swimmers keep changing with the new ones joining from outside the club or from Prep grouip this means keeping on all the time.]


Details:


 Full Name:
Peter James Allan
 Age:
70 (09/03/36)
 School:
A very long time ago now but it was Portobello High School which I attended for 12 years, going through the infant, primary and secondary departments.
 How long have you been with the club:
24 years.
 Biggest influence on swimming career:
Probalbly Iain Macfadyen (Founding President of Inverleith ASC) who first got me involved in coaching and on the Committee.
 Favorite pool:
  1. Nostalgically - Infirmary Street Baths
  2. For a competition - Carnegie
  3. For teaching/coaching - Leith Victoria Swim Centre
  4. For National Competitions - Tollcross, Glasgow
 Best Competition:
East  District Age Group Championships - because of the honest endeavor that goes into competition (especially at the younger age groups).
 Proudest moment in swimming:
Being elected president of Inverleith ASC.
 Biggest disappointment in swimming:
No real disappointments only temporary set-backs.
 Other sporting interests:
Played Badminton a lot, used to run a lot too.
 Favourite Group/Musicians/singers:
I have a very wide taste in music from the classicals through to easy listening and from country to pop (but not heavy metal).
 Favourite Food:
Lamb Kleftico (see of you can find out what that is).
 Favourite Programme:
I like to watch the more intellectual quiz shows (Countdown etc.).
 Other Interests:
 Anything Else:

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Louise Allan - Coach ~ Prep Group


Details:


 Full Name:
Louise Allan
 Age:
34 (Born 1972)
 School:
Broughton Primary, Drummond High and then on to study Mathematics at Edinburgh University.
 How long have you been with the club:
Joined in 1979 aged 7. Coached for 14 years.
 Biggest influence on swimming career:
My mum encouraged me to keep going when I was younger.
 Favorite pool:
I dislike the cold so the Royal Blind School would have to be my favourite.
 Best Competition:
N/A
 Proudest moment in swimming:
I enjoyed competing and winning medals and flashes. I've still got them all in a box at home.
 Biggest disappointment in swimming:
Having glandular fever at age 10 then again at 16. It took me a while to recover and get back training again.
 Favourite Food:
Chinese
 Favourite Programme:
I enjoyed watching "One Thousand Acres of Sky."
 Other Interests:
I still enjoy swimming myself and keeping fit. I've got a membership of the Balmoral Hotel Fitness Club and I go to classes a few times a week.

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